Some people have no problem falling asleep and staying asleep when it’s time for bed. Others watch the time go by while waiting for sleep to come—and it doesn’t for a long time. Then there are people have no problem falling asleep but before long, they’re awake again in the middle of the night.

If this sounds like you and relaxing music, reading, a warm bath, or a sleeping mask haven’t helped, maybe it’s time to try something new.

Dangers of Sleep Loss

Do you think that you can get by with only four or five hours of sleep per night? Maybe you threw in the towel thinking there’s not much you can do. If you think it’s okay because caffeinated beverages keep you from nodding off at work, think again.

Not getting enough sleep night after night, week after week, month after month can really have a negative effect on your health. It’s more serious than bad moods and daytime sleepiness. In a study of 1,024 participants, it was found that short sleep duration was associated with higher ghrelin and lower leptin, which are hormones that regulate appetite. Those who slept less than eight hours (74.4% of participants) had a higher BMI (body mass index).

Not only can a lack of sleep increase your BMI, but it can also increase your risk of accidents while driving and on the job due to drowsiness and slow reaction times. Not getting enough shut eye is also associated with diabetes as well as stroke and heart disease, and depression.

These are just some of the many possible negative effects of getting less than seven hours’ sleep per night. Along with taking steps such as making sure your bedroom is dark, turning off screens an hour before bed, going to sleep at a consistent time every night, and exercising during the day, there are foods and beverages that can help you sleep better.

Grab a Banana

A banana can help you sleep better because it contains both magnesium and potassium. They help relax your muscles and can help with aches you may have. When stressed, magnesium can be depleted, so getting enough magnesium is important. Also, the tryptophan in bananas converts to the calming hormones melatonin and serotonin. Other foods that contain tryptophan include beans, eggs, fish, turkey, seeds, and nuts.

Brew a Cup of Chamomile Tea

The caffeine in coffee will keep you up, but drinking chamomile tea in the evening can help you get to sleep. It can help calm you and could become a part of a bedtime ritual.

Drink Tart Cherry Juice

Studies show that tart cherries and tart cherry juice, which contain melatonin, can aid sleep. In one study, adults drank two glasses of tart cherry juice per day and slept an average of 39 minutes longer. Another study had twenty participants drink a glass of tart cherry juice when they woke up and another at bedtime for seven days. They found that the participants also slept longer, spent more of their time in bed sleeping, and napped less.

You might be tempted to drink sweet cherry juice for the taste, but since it has less melatonin, you’d be better off sticking with tart. Eating dried cherries won’t help because they don’t contain any melatonin.

Other Sources of Melatonin

Looking for other sources of melatonin? You’ll find it in goji berries, almonds, walnuts, orange bell peppers, tomatoes, flaxseeds, and pineapples. A breakfast favourite, oatmeal, which also contains melatonin, can be enjoyed at night.

Consume Away from Bedtime

Before you go to bed, it’s wise to avoid drinking alcohol because while it might seem like it helps you sleep, it can disrupt your sleep. You likely remember waking up after drinking the night before feeling unrested.

Timing eating and drinking food and drinks that contain caffeine, like dark chocolate, pop, and coffee is important. It’s a good idea to stop caffeine at least eight hours before you go to bed. You might have to stop caffeine even earlier in the day if you’re sensitive to it.

Look at what you’re eating and drinking if you find you’re having problems sleeping. While what you eat and drink aren’t the only things that affect your sleep, looking at your diet is a good place to start.

You might not want to go vegetarian or vegan, but decreasing the amount of meat you eat by going meatless a few days per week can benefit your health, your wallet, and can reduce greenhouse gases. It can help with reducing your weight as studies show that eating meat is linked to obesity.

Decreasing meat consumption can also reduce your risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer. When you consume less meat, you have more room for vegetables, fruits, and grains that people eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) don’t often get enough of.

A study showed that the risk of coronary heart disease decreased by 4% with each serving of fruits and vegetables. It also found the risk of stroke was lowered by 5%. Eating a plant-based diet can treat and reverse heart disease.

When eating a more plant-based diet, you eat more fiber which can help you feel full and consume fewer calories. Research shows this can also help fight type 2 diabetes.

The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends limiting your red meat intake and avoiding processed meat. There is evidence that both can cause colorectal cancer. The Institute advises limiting your weekly intake of red meat to 18 ounces.

Worried About Getting Enough Protein?

These are just some of the adverse effects of eating red and processed meat. So you might be wondering what you can eat in place of meat. Don’t worry about getting enough protein. Here are four meatless options.

Lentils

You might have bypassed lentils in the grocery store not really knowing how to prepare them or how to use them. Maybe they didn’t look too appetizing, but this legume is a good meat alternative. A half a cup of cooked lentils has 9 grams of protein. Lentils also contain potassium, iron, folate, fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants. Simply put them in a strainer and rinse them under water. Boil a pot of water and add the lentils. Simmer them for approximately 25–30 minutes.

Use lentils in salads, stews, veggie burgers, soups, tacos, pasta sauce, lentil burgers, and as a substitute for ground beef or ground turkey in meatloaf.

Quinoa

This seed is a complete protein that provides all nine essential amino acids, and a half a cup of cooked quinoa provides 4 grams of protein. If you haven’t tried it because you’re not sure how to cook it, it’s easier than you think. Unlike lentils, you want to measure the amount of water you use. Make sure your water is twice the amount of the seeds you use. So if you want to cook one cup of quinoa, use two cups of water. Rinse the quinoa with water while rubbing it to remove the bitter tasting saponins in its coating before putting it in a pot. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil and then cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes.

Along with its fiber and protein content, quinoa contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. It also contains vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, and folate.

Quinoa can be used as a substitute for couscous, pasta, or rice, and can be added to stews, soups, salads, and in breakfast meals in place of oatmeal. It’s also good in a bake with nuts, cinnamon, and bananas or berries.

Beans

Another alternative to meat, beans can provide about 7.5 grams of protein in a half a cup, depending on the type. To cook dried beans, put them in a bowl and cover with water. Drain them and then fill the bowl again with water, using at least three times as much water as beans. After letting them soak overnight, drain them and then rinse them until the water is clear. If you don’t want to soak your beans before use, canned beans don’t require that step. Try to find a brand that is BPA free and simply rinse the beans thoroughly before using.

There are a variety of beans to choose from including navy, pinto, cannellini, black, kidney, fava, and chickpeas (or garbanzo beans).

Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and a half a cup of cooked tempeh provides 11.5 grams of protein. It’s a versatile meat alternative, as it takes on the flavour of what it’s cooked with. Since it is fermented, it provides probiotics which are good for such things as improving your digestion and immune system.

You can buy tempeh that is fresh or “ready to eat.” You might still want to steam the pre-cooked tempeh to soften it a little.

Use tempeh in stir-frys, sandwiches, chili, soups, salads, tomato sauce, tacos, fajitas, and on its own.

These are just four of many alternatives to meat you can use. You can start off slowly with one meatless day per week to see how it goes. Even that one day will benefit your health and the environment. Even if you’re the most die-hard meat eater, you just might find yourself trying new food and discovering that you look forward to your meatless days.